Lori from Middleville, MI
A: Lori,
Since they can inflict quite a lot of damage and now there are three of them, I would recommend calling your local Department of Natural Resources for advice and information on how to relocate your ground hogs. They may recommend live-trapping the ground hogs and releasing them several miles away. There is also a granular product sold under the name of Shake Away that is supposed to act as a deterrent to ground hogs and other small animals. It contains the scent of predator urine (in this case, fox urine) and is supposed to be organic, safe for pets and odor-free to humans. I've never used it, but it's worth a try. You can purchase it online at www.critter-repellent.com . This same product is said to work for chipmunks, too. Placing dog or cat hair discreetly around your pots may help deter the chipmunks. Live-trapping is another option, but make sure you release them in an area where they won't become someone else's problem. If you have a kitty, teach them to bask in the sun on your patio on a tether. The chipmunks in my neighborhood eat seeds, corn and nuts from a tray beneath my birdfeeders. My birdfeeders are located on the opposite side of my house away from most of my gardens. This fact, along with strategically placing my cats on patrolling tethers, has worked well for me.
Good luck!
Ellen Brown
More Answers:
Sprinkle human hair around inside your pots. Maybe go to your local beauty shop and see if they will give you some fresh cut hair. As for the ones under the deck, maybe a trap or an exterminator. (06/13/2006)
By Madeline
I've heard that critters hate the smell of ammonia. (06/13/2006)
Mothballs can be a small rodent deterrent also. However, they can be harmful for pets.(06/13/2006)
By Memere
I just read online a couple of days ago that you should sprinkle bloodmeal around your plants to avoid squirrels so that might work for chipmunks, too. It is a good fertilizer, too. (06/13/2006)
First forget the moth ball myth. They don't work period. What I did was buy a Have a Heart Trap at my local hardware store. Set it in the morning with sunflower seeds and check it during the day. I catch about one chipmunk a day. I then take the critter for a ride of about 10 miles and release it in the woods. A lot less chipmunks around lately. (06/14/2006)
By Dean
I read in June's Southern Living that chili pepper works, too. (05/25/2007)
By Jen
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